Frozen
by FrankandJoe3
Summary: The worst kind of pain is knowing that you're losing the one you love most, but there's nothing you can do to save them. You're just frozen; helpless...


**This fic is dedicated to one of my closest friends on here. As long as we've PM'd, which isn't long but oh well, he's been here for me. He lends a computerized ear and shoulder for my troubles and puts up with me. He himself writes amazing fics and he's sick, not to mention dealing with family issues too, so I _had _to write him something because I can't get him a gift. This story is dedicated to the one and only _TheWickedWizardofOz. _You're amazing my dear. I hope you're feeling way better by the time you read this! **

**Disclaimer: Even this simple idea doesn't belong to me, so why would the characters? **

When Bruce silently entered his ward's room, he was stopped right in his tracks, a confused look occupying his face. The little boy stood in front of the mirror, his hair still wet from the dye combed back. He wore his biggest sunglasses and what looked like lip gloss, along with a big leather jacket, a white wifebeater and some of the tightest dark skinny jeans that the world has yet to see. His CD player gave out a tune of a sort as Dick sang into a hairbrush. His voice was soft and pure, every little note seemingly perfect in every way. He even danced playfully, making the choreography up as he went.

"_B-Baby, take me on a journey! I been thinking lately I could use a little time alone with you! Crazy, let's do something baby! Please don't take your time! You've got me right where you want me~_!" he sang, spinning around and flipping his hair.

Dick froze, his sunglasses sliding down his nose to reveal his wide blue eyes as he saw Bruce in the doorway. A heavy blush flew to his cheeks.

"I uh… how much did you see?" he asked shyly, removing the shades and setting them on the dresser top beside the hairbrush he had just set down.

"Enough…" Bruce commented lightly.

He couldn't hide a wide smile though. It was nice to see that this poor kid, one who had been forced to watch his parents die barely five years ago, smile and laugh over something so immature and childish. Dick shed the leather jacket, folding it once and draping it over the back of his computer chair, wiping at his lips with the back of his hand. It sparkled madly, confirming Bruce's suspicions about the lip gloss.

"I came upstairs to tell you that Selina will be over in an hour-," he stopped when he saw the bruised look that was slapped straight onto Dick's face with her name.

"No!" Dick cried, his lips falling open in pain. "P-Please don't bring her here! _Please_!"

Bruce raised an eyebrow, folding his arms over his chest.

"Dick, I'm not going to have this argument with you again. She's coming over tonight and you're _going _to be polite," he stated, venom on his lips.

The poison rubbed off onto the simple words as they entered Dick's mind, killing him from the inside out. He screwed his eyes up tight and set his hands to his temples as it kicked in, burning at his eyes and making his jaw tense.

"And if I'm not…?" he asked behind gritted teeth as he slowly withered away, the pain nothing short of the highest degreed torture.

Bruce set his jaw, a glare shooting across the room. Without saying anything, Dick knew that unless he sought death, he had to obey. Forcing his shaking hands that were now white fists to his sides, he nodded grimly. It was as if he had just been told that his parents hadn't been dead this whole time, but they both had just died again in a car crash to see him. He bowed his head, staying stiff.

Bruce almost felt bad from how upset his little boy looked, but he couldn't bother with that. He had to prepare himself for the dinner date. He started for the door, stopping in the frame for a moment. He peered back, the faintest trace of remorse lining the brown in his eyes.

"Dick…?" he called weakly, his voice cutting out.

The ebony stared intensely at the floor, almost as if he had laser vision and he intended to burn a hole through it. It wasn't working, but it was the thought that counted. He never looked up.

"What."

He didn't have the heart to state it as a question. He sounded full out pissed as his immune system iced his veins in an effort to drown out the poison. There was no room for niceness left in him. All that was left was his inner Batman and he intended Bruce to take more than the full dose of medicine; at least until it choked him.

"I…." Bruce was half-tempted to apologize, but if Dick was going to live up to his name, he wasn't going to. "Be dressed by six. I expect you in a suit with your hair _normal_. None of this lip-gloss crap either. You're a Wayne now, even if not legally. You're going to act like one."

"So I'm going to be a heartless, emotionless, arrogant sonofabitch?" Dick was tempted to say, but he swallowed it along with the ice that flowed rapidly through his insides, slowly starting him to shiver.

If the poison didn't fade soon enough, he was going to freeze himself solid and have to wait an eternity until a Prince or Princess Charming came along to kiss him free from his prison.

"Yes sir," he breathed angrily.

Bruce pretended to be oblivious to the hatred that choked the room like a noose before closing the door behind him, the click of confirmation reminding the youngest of the keys to his prison door being dropped down a sewer grate, forever trapping him in a place he had never wanted to be in.

XxXxX

Dinner was just as expected: awkward. The lovely lady came in and automatically won Alfred over with her simple beauty and manners. Bruce was all over her, sitting just a bit too close, his eyes always on her and the shyest of smiles always playing over his lips, even on the sad topics. She talked about the most interesting of topics, giggling in the mostly beautiful of ways and the food was simply delicious! Dick said nothing the whole time though. He didn't eat either. He just sat there in the spot farthest from her, staring at the table cloth in boredom, ignoring them all.

Bruce, the loveliest Selina and Alfred emptied several bottles of red wine and cleared the table, laughter keeping the air bright and happy around them. The air around Dick stayed cold, bitter and dry, only further freezing him. She was close enough to him that her toxins cut the air, seeping through his clothes into his skin. It made his skin burn a million degrees hotter than his insides. Everything hurt. Was he going to freeze or melt? If he melted, would he just explode or leak? Would Bruce have the decency to keep him whole when he was buried or would he be cremated? Would he be dealt with at all?

The answer to that last question was yes. He was 'dealt with', if you would. He wasn't buried; no, he was kicked under the table and given an angry glare from Bruce. He ignored it, rolling his eyes in irritance.

"Selina, you've met Dick right?" Bruce tried.

The woman glanced Dick's way warmly, but the boy stayed completely still. He trembled ever so slightly, his hands clenched into fists on the chair leg and his jaw set roughly. His eyes burnt with the roughest of tears, but he kept them wide open so not a tear could fall. They all dried up before they could even try.

"Come on now Dick. You can't be like this," Bruce frowned, disapprovingly.

That was the snapping point. There was enough venom in his system know to melt through the ice. He needed to go puke out his organs, the ice and all of the venom he could. At least then if he died, he could be flattened and put on display in his costume in the display case. Let all of the other Robins know he was best. He pushed himself away from the table and did his best to run from the room. Bruce was up from the table in a speed that would make both Flashes gawk astounded, grabbing Dick's wrist firmly and stopping him.

"You're embarrassing me! What's wrong with-?" that's when Bruce saw the tears.

He stopped with the hush tone and let go of Dick's wrist, staggering back in surprise. The little ebony wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, now lip-gloss free, before he tore from the room. Bruce waited until he was from sight before silently returning to the table where Selina and Alfred were discussing whatever it was that made them both chuckle in amusement. He sat down, scooting up to the table and taking a huge drink from his wine glass, emptying it down to the last drop. Selina noticed and she raised an eyebrow suspiciously, touching a worried hand to his arm.

"Bruce darling, is everything alright?" she asked, her voice gentle.

Bruce nodded, lying straight through the wine.

"He just wasn't feeling good," that part was half true at least. "Now, let's just… get back to enjoying dinner, shall we?"

XxXxX

Dick laid under the covers, buried face first into all of his pillows. He intended to cut his oxygen off entirely, but he hadn't had much luck. The blankets were pulled up to his neck and he was waiting until his immune system saved himself from all of the evil in his body. It was almost all gone too as he lost himself in the mental world of "What-If"s. When Bruce slammed his door open, it all came back up, rushing through his veins and fighting to decide whether he was to freeze or melt. He groaned as his stomach uncomfortably twisted with the unwanted pain.

"Dick… would you mind telling me _what the hell _happened?" Bruce struggled to keep his voice under control.

The ebony closed his eyes, wishing the tears would go away. It wasn't like Bruce could see them, but he felt like they'd be noticed sooner or later and that they'd get him in more trouble.

"If you don't get it by now, you never will. _Please _go away," Dick spoke loud and clearly, no matter how slow he had to say it so he wouldn't have to repeat it.

Bruce did the exact opposite. He sat down beside Dick on the bed, facing away from him towards the closet doors, resting his elbows on his knees. The two sat there in one of their comfortable silences, neither having to say a word to make it any better. Dick felt minutes drag on and on, but to Bruce, it was barely a few seconds before he stood up again. He turned around, sighing heavily as he looked down at his ward. He hesitated before acting.

He leaned down, gently tucking the edges of the blanket under Dick's stomach, legs and such so he was bundled up like a butterfly in an awkward shaped chrysalis, ready to jump out at any moment with wings. Dick turned his head in surprise, looking up at his almost father with teary eyes in confusion. Bruce waited until his little boy was safely bundled up before he tried something new. He cautiously leaned down, briefly touching his lips to Dick's temple before standing up again and starting to leave, leaving Dick with wide eyes and a scarlet face.

"B-Bruce… what was… that… for?" Dick asked slowly, his head tingling in surprise.

Bruce set a hand to his neck, averting his eyes.

"Well I, uh, saw it on TV… it looked like… it looked fatherly and you… looked like you needed a dad instead of just a babysitter," he explained, very specific on his words. "I thought it'd cheer you up."

Dick smiled shyly, looking down into his pillow for the longest moment.

"It did," he whispered.

Bruce chuckled lightly, walking towards the door, his hand hovering over the lightswitch.

"Goodnight Dick," he said softly.

"Goodnight Bruce," Dick returned.

He offered a final smile before the light shut off and Dick shut his eyes. That was the cure. Just that simple motion had cured him of all the toxin and venom. Sure, he was still upset, but he wouldn't have to worry about where his body was going. He knew that it was going to stay right there where it belonged.

**So, my dearest Oz, I hope you like this. If not, I'm sorry… I hope you feel better! On a side note, thank you to the brilliant inventors of Friends with Benefits. Now I really do get what I want for Christmas… (': She's mine bitches! Hee~! Review?**

**-FrankandJoe3**


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